Bruce Blakeman Jumps Into Race For Governor of New York

Mr. Blakeman, the Nassau County executive, faces a bitter Republican primary showdown with Representative Elise Stefanik. The winner will likely face Gov. Kathy Hochul in the fall.

Bruce Blakeman, the Republican Nassau County executive and an ally of President Trump, announced on Tuesday that he would run for governor of New York.

His decision sets up a potentially explosive primary clash with Representative Elise Stefanik, a hard-charging Republican who has already declared her candidacy against Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat.

Ms. Stefanik had worked furiously behind the scenes to fend off any primary challenge to maximize her chances against Ms. Hochul in a Democratic-leaning state. Now, a fight with Mr. Blakeman threatens to drain meaningful resources and shift the focus away from Ms. Hochul.

Both Republicans are jockeying for the support of the president, who indicated earlier on Monday that he would remain neutral for now.

“He’s great, and she’s great,” Mr. Trump, a native New Yorker, told reporters at the White House on Monday before Politico first reported that Mr. Blakeman intended to run.

Ms. Stefanik’s campaign issued a lengthy statement, attacking Mr. Blakeman as a spoiler who would help re-elect Ms. Hochul, a former lieutenant governor who took office in 2021 after Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo resigned.

“Even those in Nassau County who are closest to Bruce Blakeman will tell you that everyone knows Bruce has no shot and is putting his raging ego first and New Yorkers last as he blows up the best opportunity in a generation to save New York,” said Bernadette Breslin, a spokeswoman for Ms. Stefanik.

The two Republicans share a deep affinity for Mr. Trump and distaste for Ms. Hochul. But they come from starkly different parts of New York, different wings of the party and different generations.

Mr. Blakeman, 70, is a political force on Long Island, where he just won a second term by more than 10 points as Republicans lost in many other swing areas across the country. He has drawn national news headlines by creating a force of armed volunteers to deploy in the case of civil unrest and seeking to bar transgender athletes from county facilities.

But since he first ran for state comptroller in the 1990s, Mr. Blakeman has never won a statewide race. And while some of his more moderate positions, like support for abortion rights, might play well in a general election, his likely opponent is prepared to use them against him with Republican primary voters.

Ms. Stefanik, 41, comes from the state’s North Country and has veered rightward since Mr. Trump’s election — often well to the right of the median New Yorker. Mr. Trump had initially nominated her to serve as ambassador to the United Nations, a post she accepted. But in March he rescinded the invitation so as not to risk losing her House seat in a special election at a time when Republicans hold a slim majority.

Ms. Stefanik entered the governor’s race just days after the November election and has consolidated considerable support that could serve her well in a primary. She has a powerful national fund-raising apparatus and has locked up endorsements from a large number of party leaders across the state, including Edward Cox, the state party chairman.

Mr. Blakeman and his allies do not appear to be cowed.

“We don’t have coronations in our party,” the county executive told a CBS affiliate in Albany in November during a tour of the state.

“Competition is a good thing, and I’m going to travel around the state,” he said at the time. “And if I feel that I’m the best candidate to beat Kathy Hochul and to run the state, then I’m going to jump in.”

He is likely to begin by seeking the support of fellow Republicans in Nassau County. Alfonse D’Amato, a former Republican U.S. senator, said he expected Mr. Blakeman to run.

“Don’t ever sell him short. He’s a hard worker, he makes a great impression,” he said. “He had a good win, and if there’s a primary, he’d be a very powerful candidate.”

Ms. Hochul, 67, is currently the favorite in the 2026 election. Democrats vastly outnumber Republicans in New York, and though her approval ratings are less than stellar, polls show that for now she leads hypothetical general election matchups.

Democrats were eager for Mr. Blakeman to run.

“If there’s a Republican primary, it makes it much more entertaining for me,” Ms. Hochul said earlier Monday. “Let’s see how they out-MAGA each other in a primary.”

Michael M. Grynbaum contributed reporting.

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